Horses, Miniature Horses and Ponies, Oh My!!!

There is only one species of domestic horse, but there are over 300 different breeds. Domestic horses reach full adult development by the age of five and live an average of 25 to 30 years.  A female horse is referred to as a filly or a mare and a male horse is referred to as a stallion or a gelding, but all horses less than a year old are called foals. A horse’s height is measured at the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. It’s expressed as the number of full hands (one hand is equal to four inches), followed by a decimal point, then the number of additional inches and the abbreviation "hh” for hands high. For example, a horse described as 15.2hh is 15 hands (60 inches) plus two inches, or a total of 62 inches.

While they are the same species, horses and ponies are not the same. An animal 14.2hh or more is usually considered a horse and less than 14.2hh a pony. Throw in the fact miniature ponies only grow to 30 inches and you can see there’s a huge difference between breeds. Other differences between a horse and pony include aspects of appearance, such as conformation and temperament. Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails, and overall coat. They also have shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They may be calmer than horses and have a high level of equine intelligence.

Meet Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Herd

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to a herd of four ponies, three horses and two miniature horses.  They are part of numerous zoo programs, from summer camps to pony camps to zoo outreach. They even help raise money for the zoo through their art. Yes, our ponies can paint and their work is for sale. Call us at 719.633.9925 for more information. 

"Sunny" is a 14-year-old Shetland pony and miniature horse mix. His favorite treat is apple slices with honey drizzled on top. Sunny loves painting pictures and trying to get paint on his keepers. He enjoys interacting with zoo guests and has a laid back personality.

"Scout" is a 13-year-old Paint Arabian horse mix at a pony’s height - only 14.1hh. His favorite snack is apple wafer treats and he loves to be a part of pony camp for the younger campers. He is best known around the zoo for his bowing behavior.

"Jose" is seven years old and the youngest. He is a Polish Arabian horse standing 15hh, the tallest in the herd. His favorite behaviors are waving and smiling and he loves to chase “Sunny” around the yard. Jose has a very sweet and charming demeanor.

"Indigo" is a 13-year-old Fell pony. She is very smart, has an outgoing personality and loves training time if treats are involved, especially carrots. Her favorite behavior is picking up a muck rake and handing it to her keepers. We think she does this so she doesn’t have pick up her own manure. Indigo is currently up for adoption.

"Rockette" is a 15-year-old Welsh Shetland pony mix, the oldest pony in our herd. She loves attention and always has to know what is going on. She pokes her head over the tack shed barn door for extra treats and attention.

"Billy" is an eight-year-old Appaloosa mix. He loves giving his keepers kisses and is the clown of the herd; he is always playing with toys, feeders and buckets. Billy loves little kids’ shoes, especially the light-up kind. His favorite activity is knocking the grain out of a swing bucket.

"Ranger" is a 13-year-old Welsh pony and he’s missing his right eye because of an injury when he was young. He is shy, but loves playing hide and seek and tag with his keepers. He lets kids walk him back and forth from the barn during camp.

"Concho" is one of two new miniature horses. He is five years old and has a special coloring called silver dapple, which is a grayish-brown color with small circles of lighter color. His mane and tail are both flaxen, or blonde. He loves to follow keepers around the yard and is in pony training for summer 2012.

"Tito," the other new miniature horse, is four years old. He is the smallest in the herd and quite shy. Tito’s favorite treat is grain. He is also in pony training for summer 2012.

The next time you are at the zoo, visit our entire herd in the pony corral next to Lodge at Moose Lake. Rides are only $5.00 each; or you can purchase a frequent rider card of five rides for $20.00.